1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of fitness, and to the particular field of fitness and rehabilitation.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As the population becomes more and more active, injuries to various parts of the body are increasing. Strained muscles, ligaments and the like are becoming commonplace. Certainly, such injuries occur in professional sports. One common injury occurs to the ankle joint. This injury can be to the bone, to the muscles, to the tendons or to the ligaments associated with an ankle. These injuries can vary from slight to extremely complex and debilitating.
Often ankle injuries require some rehabilitation and re-strengthening of the ankle and the body parts associated therewith. This may require work with a trainer or in a rehabilitation center.
While the art does contain examples of several devices that can be used to strengthen or rehabilitate an ankle, these devices have several disadvantages. These disadvantages will be understood from the following discussion.
If the rehabilitation/strengthening process requires the participation of another person, be it a trainer, a physical therapist, another health care worker, or simply a partner, the need for a second person may restrict the ability of a person to fully rehabilitate and/or strengthen an ankle. The person is restricted by the schedule of the other person, or by the schedule of the equipment or the like. Often, such rehabilitation is painful and arduous, and any impediment to such rehabilitation and or strengthening should be removed if possible.
Still further, many of the known devices require a person to place his or her weight on the device. This may require the person to place their weight on the injured ankle. Placing the person""s weight on the ankle may limit the movement of the ankle during the rehabilitation process and may even re-injure the ankle. In either case, the process of rehabilitation and/or strengthening may be impeded or delayed.
Still further, some parts of an ankle may require movement or resistance that differs from other parts of the ankle. Thus, to be most efficient, each part of the ankle should be exercised in the manner best suited for that part of the ankle and each part should not be limited to the exercise of the overall ankle. However, many presently-available devices are not capable of such precise and customized exercise for an ankle. Still further, some exercise regimens may require movements that differ from movements of other portions of the same exercise routine, or may require a foot to be moved in various manners for the same overall exercise. However, many presently-available devices are not capable of such customized movements.
Still farther, many presently-available devices are cumbersome to use, cumbersome or complicated to assemble and difficult to disassemble. Many of these devices are also large and unsightly. Thus, such devices are not amenable for home use and thus may require a person to travel to a center, which may limit the ability of a person to have access to the machine when he or she wants to work out. Some people may be sized larger or smaller than normal, and these people may find many of the presently-available exercise devices difficult or uncomfortable to use.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device that is versatile.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device that can accommodate users of various sizes.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device wherein the amount of resistance can be customized to a particular routine.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device that can be customized to exercise particular muscles, tendons or ligaments.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device that can accommodate a wide range of ankle motion.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device that can accommodate a spherical motion of the foot.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device that does not require someone to assist a user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device that does not require the user to place his or her weight on the injured ankle during a workout.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device that is portable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ankle exercise device that is easily assembled and disassembled and can be easily and conveniently stored between uses.
These, and other, objects are achieved by an ankle exercise device which includes a base/container unit having a plurality of eye fastener elements mounted thereon; a pedestal unit mounted in the base/container unit; a foot supporting unit movably mounted on the pedestal unit and including a plurality of eye fastener elements mounted on the foot supporting unit; a first plurality of eye fastener elements on the base/container unit; a second plurality of eye fastener elements on the foot supporting unit; and a plurality of elastic resilient tension straps each including a first end having a first eye fastener element-engaging hook thereon which releasably engages an eye fastener element of the first plurality of eye fastener elements in the in-use condition, and a second end having a second eye fastener element-engaging hook thereon which releasably engages an eye fastener element of the second plurality of eye fastener elements in the in-use condition.
The ankle exercise device can be customized by adding, changing or subtracting elastic straps and can rotate in 360xc2x0 in a plurality of planes. Thus, the device can work any and all muscles, tendons and ligaments of an ankle and does not require a user to place his or her weight on the device. Maximum benefit can thus be obtained from the device. The device is easy to assemble and disassemble and does not require a person to use the assistance of anyone else. Thus, the device can be used at the convenience of the user. The size of the device can adjusted so any user can have maximum comfort and the device is portable.